13 January 2021

13 January 2021

Published every Wednesday by CXpress 2006 (Pty) Ltd - PO Box 1449, Plettenberg Bay 6600 - 6 Park Lane, Plettenberg Bay - Tel: 044 533 1004 - Fax: 044 533 0852 Email: editor@cxpress.co.za / advertising@cxpress.co.za Web page: www.cxpress.co.za Printed by Group Editors

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So near but yet so far Garden Route local and surf enthusiast Katie Vockins, 19, is pictured here during a recent summer sunrise behind the fence that prevents access to Plett’s Hobie Beach. Working for Sjokolat Brownie Master, which plies its delicious trade at the Harkerville Saturday and Old Nick markets, she is very well aware that the closing of Garden Route beaches from mid-December onwards did not only disappoint sunbathers and swimmers, but also had a deeply detrimental impact on the local economy. On the eve of this edition’s print deadline, yet another presidential address declared the continuation of current restrictions, including beach closures. Alas, no easing of regulations would have enabled our region to recoup the seasonal financial losses incurred.

Read the overview on page 2.

Photo: Alistair Flood

Fritz lashes out at Cele p3

Update on C-19 vaccine p5

Readers have their say p10 & 11

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

13 January 2021

In a few short weeks we’ve gone from lifeguards to beachguards… to soldiers?!

ALISTAIR FLOOD shares this overview of the dismal state of affairs since Garden Route beaches were declared closed by mid-December

BEACH-BAN BLUES: One of the dozens of Bitou Municipal Law Enforcement officers deployed along Plett’s 20km stretch of award-winning beaches engages with a member of the public at Robberg 5, the perfect summer weather adding insult to perceived injustice - Photo: Alistair Flood

HE start of December held the promise of a good season for Garden Route businesses - at least those that have survived an awful year of trying to trade and adapt to the ever-changing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

While international travel remained difficult, it was to be expected that the num-

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ber of returning ‘Swallows’ would be down but on the flipside, the numbers of domestic visitors would increase.

Late November had seen the awarding of six full-status Blue Flag Beaches to Plett. Visitors flocked in and even the weather played along; restaurants were busy, as were the shops and the beaches, there was a palpable buzz around Plett and sprits were high once again.

That was until president Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on December 14, revealing that the average number of new daily cases of C-19 had nearly doubled from 3,800 to 6,600 as well as the increase of daily deaths from 100 to 150.

The Garden Route had been declared a hot spot, and then… our beaches were closed from December 16 to January 3.

In Plett, an indication of the impending disaster was that a few days prior to this announcement, Bitou Municipality started erecting mysterious fences along the side of the braai areas off Odland Street.

In the days and weeks that followed, the campaign has continued until now only Singing Kettle and Lookout Beaches are fence-free. It’s not just the cost and speed of the fencing that is a cause for concern, but its very nature.

Take Central Beach as an example: there is a one-way system with an in and an out, both

with equipment fitted to take access poles (if they didn’t, it would be quick and inexpensive to fit), all that’s missing are the poles themselves. The area between them could easily be blocked off using crowd-control barriers.

But no, Bitou has opted for the more expensive, more permanent approach whose removal, if indeed they ever intend to remove them, will be more expensive and will likely leave scars as a reminder of 2020.

According to a statement by Patty Butterworth of Plett Tourism on December 15: “Closing of Garden Route beaches will play absolutely no role whatsoever in curbing the spread of Covid-19; while there is plenty of evidence of the spread being contributed to in other domains, there is none of the spread of the virus on our beaches.”

Plett’s 20km of beaches can probably accommodate 35,000 seasonal visitors in one day with over 10m2 of space per person.

Today, not only do the beaches remain closed but, as ordained by two subsequent presidential addresses, would remain so until at least February 15.

Responsibility to police the closure fell initially to Bitou Municipal Law Enforcement (MLE) in support of the SAPS. Practically on the ground in Plett, we saw only MLE personnel in attendance.

In a municipal statement on January 2, Bitou acknowledges that issues have been reported regarding the conduct of certain MLE personnel, and the municipality undertook to monitor the conduct and launch full investigations where appropriate.

When visiting the beaches - well, as close as I could legally get - on Saturday January 2, guards on the whole were friendly and helpful and, in general, bored. They seemed glad for their jobs, but would rather not be doing this kind of enforcement.

Imagine being out in the hot sun in full

thick uniform from 8am to 6pm while continually wearing a mask…

Singles and pairs were the most approachable; larger groups less so, but still courteous. In the end, they have little to do because there is no mass civil disobedience in Plett. Don’t be mistaken, they weren’t going to let you set foot on the beach and would arrest you if you tried, but part of the local community appeared well aware of what the closure meant to the local economy.

Last week, as tourists in Plett were preparing to end an all too disappointing season and return home, things were about to take a turn for the worst.

In a totally bizarre move on January 6 during a Garden Route visit, Police minister Bheki Cele revealed that the South African National Defence Force would “assist” policing Garden Route beaches.

Cele said that people were still visiting the region’s 57 beaches and giving the police a hard time, adding that some suspects arrested for disregarding the regulations were “Europeans”.

What fate awaits them, and what condemnation may be issued against South Africa in the international community, should these nationals have been treated in a harsh or unfair manner?

As this edition went to print, no soldiers had arrived in CX Country (perhaps they never will?), nor are they needed here as most of us are law-abiding citizens. There have been but isolated instances of people using our beaches, while one of the fences at Poortjies Lagoon had been ripped down.

Plett is this week heading back to the sleepy town it is for 11 months of the year. Along with the fencing, deployment of soldiers will just add to the bill of wasted money and pointless expense that could have been better used in every Garden Route municipality.

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NEWS & VIEWS

13 January 2021

CXPRESS

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Cele’s call for army deployment on Garden Route riles provincial Community Safety minister

Ludumo Tede

ESTERN Cape Community Safety minister Albert Fritz released a highly-critical response after learning that members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) would be deployed to patrol the Garden Route.

His disapproval was expressed following the announcement by national Police minister Bheki Cele

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that troops would be roped in to assist local men in blue to enforce lockdown regulations during his Garden Route visit on January 6.

Criticising Cele’s approach in imposing rules across the Western Cape, specifically the Garden Route, Fritz said Cele’s trip to the province was a demonstration of a single-minded obsession with beaches.

According to Fritz, the

state was not exactly hardpressed to call for the assistance of camouflage-clad men to monitor the compliance of local residents and visitors, especially after Cele’s own admission that incidents of defiance were few and far between.

“This was confirmed by his latest public utterances around SANDF officers being deployed to beaches along the Garden Route

Public assistance required to find missing Knysna man HE Knysna police is requesting the public to assist with the search for Lennox Sithembile Maginana from Joodsekamp in Knysna, who was reported missing by a family member on January 6.

Said Southern Cape police spokesman sergeant Christopher Spies: “Preliminary reports indicate that Maginana went to visit friends at Flenters Location on January 2, but never returned home. He was dressed in blue overalls and a black hoodie top at the time of

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his disappearance.”

Spies added that a search party was established following the missing person’s report, and that the search continued into the weekend. No find had been reported by going to print.

Any person who can assist with the whereabouts of Maginana, or who can provide information that will secure his safe return, is requested to contact the investigation officer, W/O James Visagie on 044 302 6677 or to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

where, by his own admission, adherence to regulations had improved,” Fritz said.

He emphasised that the Western Cape Government complied to regulations, but believed that state resources could have been directed to where they were needed most.

“The Western Cape Government believes that the rule of law in South Africa must always be upheld, and that regulations must be enforced even if we disagree with them.

“However, it is increasingly clear from his ‘media

tour’ in the Western Cape that the national minister is significantly more passionate about arresting surfers, than arresting gang leaders in the Cape Flats and other communities across South Africa,” said Fritz.

Elaborating to the media on his department’s rationale for calling in the army to assist local police during his visit last week, Cele also pointed out the shortage of police personnel due to many of them being in isolation after having contracted the virus.

“Police themselves have

very reduced numbers more than 300 have been infected around here and 800 or so are in isolation,” guessed Cele.

Despite Fritz’s show of displeasure, the SANDF must submit to orders received by the state, which is to patrol the Garden Route where the numbers of active coronavirus cases remain significantly high.

By going to print, however, no sign of military presence had been detected in Knysna or Plett, and no response from top SANDF brass had been received.

News Briefs

MISSING: Lennox Maginana, 37, never returned home after visiting friends in Flenters on January 2

• When the team at CXPRESS returned from annual leave on January 6, active Covid-19 cases in Bitou and Knysna stood at 347 and 490 respectively;

by January 11, these figures had risen to 370 for Bitou and 513 for Knysna, i.e. an increase of 23 active cases in both towns. Total deaths in the province had reached 18,319 by Monday.

• No light had been shed on last week’s broad-day-

light cash heist at Plett post office after several enquiries to various Southern Cape police spokespeople.

Unconfirmed reports alleged that, around 3:30pm on January 5, robbers made off with cash to the tune of R500,000 due to be paid out to local Sassa grant beneficiaries. Might the deafening silence from SAPS sources be caused by the embarrassment of this crime happening right on

their doorstep?

For those not in the know: The Plett police station, refurbished six years ago to include cells and additional offices and state of the art facilities, is situated right next to the post office at the top of Main Street, both buildings bordering the quiet residential Jackson Street.

Those robbers must still be high-fiving one another a week after pulling off this brazen feat.

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

13 January 2021

Waste workers’ gripes spill over to Bitou’s water and electrical staff On Thursday, while the before dispute finally settled municipal dispute continA Good Samaritan came to the rescue when refuse started heaping up in Plettenberg Bay as a result of a municipal labour dispute YOLANDÉ STANDER reports ITOU Municipality announced last Monday that refuse removal had been suspended following a labour dispute within its Waste department. The municipality also encouraged residents to store their refuse in their property while the municipality negotiated with the striking workers.

This, however, caused

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havoc as large piles of refuse lined the town’s streets, especially after an increase in waste following New Year’s celebrations. Birds also started ripping into the refuse bags, which saw rubbish strewn across sidewalks.

Alison Bryant from the Keep Plett Clean Campaign said they soon realised that something needed

to be done as the situation became a health hazard and tarnished the town’s image.

Local Good Samaritan and KwikSpar owner Duncan Brown, who supports the campaign, decided to help. He said he obtained the services from local resident Joe Bruwer to help clear as much of the rubbish as possible.

Happy Birthday to Brian Chakwira, owner of the Plett branch of Bay Shoe & Key!

ued, Bruwer and his team headed out and collected refuse in large parts of Plett.

“We tried to collect as much as possible, but unfortunately could not get to everything. Luckily their differences were resolved and the workers were back the next day,” Brown said.

Bitou municipal spokesman Andile Namntu explained that although the dispute started within the Waste department, it soon spread to the Water and Electrical departments, too.

He added that the dispute had been resolved on Thursday night and a commitment had been made that the water and sanitation as well as electrical teams would im-

STAND-IN WASTE WARRIORS: Joe Bruwer and his team were tasked with clearing refuse along major Plett roads while municipal disputes were being settled

mediately resume duty.

“They were expected to work through Thursday night to ensure that all outstanding repairs were done and services restored - this after several bursts pipes

were reported across Bitou and left residents without water,” said Namntu.

The backlog was dealt with over the weekend and normal refuse collection continued on Monday.

NEWS & VIEWS

13 January 2021

CXPRESS

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Two-thirds of South African citizens need the vaccine for herd immunity to kick in - Dr Mkhize

Words & photo: Alistair Flood

OUTH Africa is a signed up and paid up member along with some 190 other countries of a scheme called COVAX - a global initiative to ensure the rapid and equitable rollout and access to Covid-19 vaccines for all countries in the world regardless of income level.

To that end, some signatories including the likes of Afghanistan, CAR, Chad, Angola, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe will receive subsidised doses for their populations.

COVAX will operate effectively as a buying and distribution collective to secure the best prices possible for members acting as one, rather than negotiating individual deals, although it will not stop individual members from striking their own deals.

As of December 18, they have secured agreements with pharmaceutical companies for the supply of nearly 2-billion doses of the various vaccines.

South African Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize announced late December that a joint effort by the National Department of Health and

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the Solidarity Fund have made a down payment to COVAX for R283-million to ensure participation in the programme.

This payment represents 15% of the cost of vaccines for 6-million people, or roughly 10% of the country’s population. If you do the math, that scales up to R19-billion to vaccinate the whole country.

Mkhize added that the Department of Health would make additional payments in 2021 as they fall due.

Discovery Health last week spoke of the rollout process for the vaccine in South Africa for those with and without medical aid schemes, and it is hoped that other scheme providers will follow suit.

They stated there was no doubt that their members would have access and that the price paid would generate a surplus of 15%, which will be used to fund vaccines for non-fund members. They went on to say that this funding model would not in any way affect the prioritisation of who gets the vaccine first.

They were also able to shed some light on the

ments that make them more likely to contract the virus.

JUST SAY NO? This graffiti in Plett CBD has gained new meaning since the Covid-19 vaccine debate has ignited across the globe - the website mentioned is www.prisonplanet.com

overall picture. The first 10% of South African vaccines will be funded through the COVAX membership payments, the next 30% through this medical scheme imitative.

Funding for the remaining 60% was not addressed, although Dr Mkhize did indicate that “to deal with the

pandemic, the only protection is through vaccination”.

He further said: “In terms of the department’s calculation, we need 67-70% of the population to be immunised to break the cycle of transmission - what is called the herd immunity.”

Rollout to the population will be in three phases:

Phase 1 • Frontline health workers.

Phase 2 • Essential workers.

• People gathered in close living environments, such as prisons.

• People 60 years and older.

• People older than 18 with comorbidities or other ail-

Phase 3 • The remainder of the population.

According to the World Health Organisation, vaccines are one of the world’s most successful tools at saving lives, preventing over 3-million deaths per year with a further 1.5-million possible if distribution and uptake were increased.

Cost and some population hesitancy are the main barriers to further uptake.

The world is used to a minimum of two to three years of development for a vaccine; add on five years to get candidate vaccines into human trails and you can begin to see why the speed at which both researchers and pharmaceutical companies have responded to the challenge of developing a Covid vaccine has been described as “unprecedented”.

As for the graffiti on the corner of Main and Church streets, visit the website mentioned if you wish and form your own opinion - although why it appeared in Plett is a mystery.

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CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

13 January 2021

Lessons learnt from 2020’s communication and brand crises This thought leadership report was penned by PR Worx marketing guru MADELAIN ROSCHER HE year 2020 went from twenty-plenty to twenty-empty for individuals, corporations, and global brands.

And while the pandemic blindsided most, some of the reputational damage suffered by brands, organisations and even governments could have been avoided if they focused on improving communication or crisis-management.

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Covid-19 election calamity Everyone will agree that during a pandemic, communication from experts, scientists, governments, or global organisations like the World Health Organization must be timely, accurate and consistent.

While the rest of the world

recognised the need for quick, constant, and factual communications, outgoing US president Donal Trump doubled down on trivialising the deadly effects of the Coronavirus. He claimed an estimated 40 times that Covid-19 “would go away”.

Media analysts believe that because Trump downplayed the pandemic, his followers also disregarded health precautions, and with the spread of the virus, he lost critical voting regions. According to the media, Trump could “have won re-election if positive cases had been between 5% and 10% lower”.

Trump’s miscommunication and his trivialising of Covid-19 ultimately led to his defeat.

Clicks catastrophe Closer to home, one of the most recent brand blunders came from Clicks. SA's leading health, beauty and lifestyle retailer came under fire for calling black women’s hair “dry and damaged” while in the same TRESemmé advert, said white women’s hair was “fine and flat” or “normal”.

Having focus groups to provide independent input or even having a diverse group of people review and greenlight a campaign before it goes public, could be the difference between going viral for the right or wrong reasons.

While Clicks was quick to apologise, reputational damage happened even quicker. Clicks were also

slapped with a series of punitive actions for their gross oversight. It included practising constitutional values of equality and dignity in their work culture and across all their stores; and identifying areas that have not been transformed, and that are not inclusive in marketing departments and advertising agencies.

Clicks are also supporting social initiatives that set out to build the self-esteem, dignity, and identity of young, black, South African girls.

Dis-Chem gets dissed Dis-Chem, one of SA’s largest pharmaceutical retailers, found itself in a similar position as Clicks when a white mannequin donning an Ankara dress posing next to a makeshift African homestead was spotted - with a ‘blackface’. But when the picture went viral on social media, Dis-Chem claimed the incident was just a “bad make-up job”.

When you have made a serious error and offended hundreds of thousands of people, it is not enough to come up with excuses or a

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lukewarm apology. Communications must be sincere, heartfelt, and companies must open themselves up to learning from their mistakes to avoid committing similar fails later.

Insulting influencers In the age of using celebrities or influencers to increase a brand’s awareness, make sure those partnerships not only ring true for both the brand and influencer but are authentic.

Diamond Mist, a United Kingdom vaping company, used a celebrity lookalike as their campaign influencer.

Rather than getting the clearance from the athlete Diamond Mist were impersonating, they associated his face and name to a brand he does not endorse.

When the campaign eventually reached the attention of the athlete, he sued Diamond Mist, which had to settle out of court for their transgressions.

In a bid to chase brand visibility, make sure your campaign is authentic, original and, most importantly, legitimate.

Doing it right

Brand blunders are not unique to specific sectors.

External forces can lead to communication crises breaking out when they are least expected. However, how a brand, organisation or government conducts its communication efforts during those tremulous times, can assist it to better weather those storms.

Some crises erupt simply because of bad planning and poor execution, which could be attributed to haphazard marketing communication strategies.

To get the most out of your communication efforts and marketing budgets, thoroughly understand your target audience; your brand’s unique selling proposition; smart messaging that resonates with your consumers and communities; the mediums that will be the most effective to disseminate your messaging; and knowing how to measure success beyond just sales.

If uncertain about which approach will maximise your returns, utilise the services of a consultant to ensure that your brand resonates with its stakeholders - even during a crisis.

NEWS & VIEWS

13 January 2021

CXPRESS

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Sheila McCarthy celebrates 90 years in style

Long-time and legendary Plett resident Sheila McCarthy celebrated her 90th birthday with loved ones on January 5. As better-half of the late Jeremy McCarthy - former Plett Traffic Chief and one of the first and feistiest contributors to CXPRESS - Sheila has been regarded as part of our extended newspaper family for the past two decades of our existence. Blessed by great health and the proximity of her four children, all of whom grew up and established careers in Plett, she also boasts a crew of home-grown grandkids and great-grandchildren. The images at left show an elegant and exuberant young Sheila, and the birthday girl about to be partake in a glass of crispy dry; above are, from left, siblings Michael McCarthy, Caroline Vedder, Karen Gradwell and Claire Pells; at right above, with all Covid protocols in place, Sheila gets a hug from daughter Karen.

The CXPRESS team wishes Sheila many more years of happiness and health.

CXPRESS

INTERVAL

13 January 2021

HOW I SEE MYSELF

BOA REWARD On a recent trip to the post office, I took a few minutes to read the notices posted on the public bulletin board in the lobby. One in particular caught my eye.

It read: “Lost in post office parking lot, small boa constrictor, family pet, will not attack. Reward.”

Below the notice someone had written, in what appeared to be very shaky handwriting: “Please, would you mind posting another notice when you find your boa?

Thank you.”

I went to the doctor for my yearly physical. The nurse started with certain basics. “How much do you weigh?” she asked.

I replied: “61kg.”

The nurse put me on the scale. It turns out my weight is 81kg.

The nurse asked: “And your height?”

I replied: “1.64m.”

The nurse checked and saw that I only measure 1.58m. She then took my blood pressure and told me it is very high.

“Of course it’s high!” I screamed. “When I came in here I was tall and slender! Now I’m short and fat!”

“Catch anything yet?” asked a stranger.

“Nope,” murmured the fisherman.

“That’s strange. It appears to be such a fine stream for trout,” said the stranger.

“It must be,” replied the fisherman, “they refuse to leave it.”

bed with the flu. Being a dutiful husband, I offered to fix her some of her favourite herbal tea.

I couldn’t find the tea though and went back upstairs to ask where it was.

She said: “I don’t know how it could be any easier to see. It’s in the pantry, third shelf down, in a cocoa tin marked ‘matches’. How could you have missed it?”

FINDING THE TEA My poor wife was sick in

CATCH ANYTHING? Sitting on the bank of a stream a young fisherman trolled his bait lazily in the water and chewed comfortably on a blade of grass.

LITTLE JOHNNY’S QUESTION Little Johnny asks his teacher: “Mrs Roberts, can I be punished for something I haven’t done?”

Mrs Roberts is shocked: “Of course not, Johnny.

That would be unfair.”

Little Johnny is relieved: “Ok, Mrs Roberts, good to know. By the way, I didn’t do my homework last night.”

When you’re cooking and the recipe says “chill in the fridge for one hour”

2019: Live, Laugh, Love...

2020: Lather, Rinse, Repeat...

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P A DR A P L Y S M P M I C S

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NEWS & VIEWS

13 January 2021

CXPRESS

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History Fest to explore war and peace in continental context

FIRST-PEOPLE FUNDI: Professor Mike de Jongh is one of the fascinating speakers to feature at next month’s Watercourse History Festival in Plettenberg Bay

HE second Watercourse History Festival will take place in Plettenberg Bay on Thursday February 25 and Friday the 26th.

Explains convenor Mike Kantey: “Developed on the theme ‘War and Peace’, this year we’ve lined up a fine set of academics and popular historians, as well as experienced peaceworkers, to share some of their insights in the field of human conflict in Southern Africa and elsewhere on our continent.”

The line-up features national media luminaries like David Bristow, awarded academics such as Prof Ruben Richards and Dr Anthony Turton, Knysna historian Ian Uys, and TRC participants Piers Pigou and Zenzile Khoisan.

On the Friday afternoon, Plett-based Anthropology professor and author Mike de Jongh will discuss the Anglo-Boer War in the Karoo and reflect on the

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question as to what drives humans to war, and how we might find each other again in peacetime.

“Mike has studied intensively two communities known as First People by the United Nations, one of these described in his marvellous book on the Karretjie Mense of the Great Karoo.

“Now itinerant sheep shearers, the Karretjie Mense are direct descendants of the /Xam -popularly known as ‘bushmen’ or ‘San’ - who roamed the Karoo before the coming of any other language speakers,” says Kantey.

The second community is the Hessequa, whose story was captured by Prof de Jongh in a subsequent book, published by Kantey’s Watermark Press. Part of what old history books called “Hottentots”, these are members of the more correctly-named Khoekhoen (“men of men” in the Nama language).

Before the European colonists arrived, the Hessequa pastured their cattle along the south-east Cape coast all the way from modern-day Swellendam to Albertinia. Their closest relatives were the Attaqua, who traded their cattle with survivors of the São Gonçalo shipwreck at Plett.

In the current, dynamic debate around land rights, however, the voices of their descendants have not been heard, nor have they been recognised, and so are described as “forgotten” by the powers that be.

By writing about them and taking up their cause, Prof de Jongh hopes to “open a window” on their history, their current lives, and their rightful place in modern South Africa.

Having grown up in the small town of Vryburg, Prof de Jongh matriculated at Queen’s College, after his father was transferred to the Eastern Cape as a regional inspector of schools.

He says: “Many of my kaalvoet friends in Vryburg spoke different languages, such as Sesotho, and as a small boy I travelled to remote places with my father.

I was exposed to people with what appeared to me to be very different and new languages, customs, and traditions.

“I suppose this stuck in the back of my mind to become an abiding interest in human culture and diversity. Although I started a medical degree, I soon found that my passion was indeed less for bio-physical aches and pains, and more for the positive stuff, so I augmented my medical

studies with social science disciplines and discovered anthropology at Rhodes and Stellenbosch, and during post-graduate studies in the United States.”

Most recently, Prof de Jongh published another

book under the Watermark Press imprint: The Forgotten Front, about the Anglo-Boer War in Colesberg. He is currently working on a book about the Buysvolk, descendants of legendary frontiersman

Coenraad de Buys.

Catch him in action during the Watercourse History Festival in Plett next month and WhatsApp Mike Kantey on 072 628 5131 for additional information or to book your seat.

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CXPRESS

Thanks to ‘Smhart’ Ronney and Bitou’s tireless maintenance team We would like to express our gratitude and thanks to Ronney of Smhart Alarms, who came to assist us, as well ensuring that no one touched the live cable that had broken off and was lying across our driveway and alongside the pavement, as this was a highly-dangerous situation.

Ronney went out of his way to contact the municipality’s electrical department and stayed with us

ON THE SOAPBOX

13 January 2021

from 5pm until the electrical team arrived. Ronney, you are a gentleman and a huge asset to Smhart Alarms in assisting to prevent a major disaster from happening.

We also thank Bitou’s maintenance crew who were on the scene soon after and worked tirelessly to make sure that our power was restored as soon as possible.

Thank you all!

Mr and Mrs Vedder, Plett

Letters to the Editor

Email: editor@cxpress.co.za - Fax: 044 533 0852 - PO Box 1449, Plett 6600

Does Bitou have a friend in the fencing business?

It is difficult to conceive as to what Bitou Municipality is doing to promote tourism in Plettenberg Bay. In fact, they seem hell bent on destroying both the economy and tourist business of the town.

I feel sure that Mr Ramaphosa did not order beaches (the most open areas for human breathing) to be fenced off. Yes, he said they are no-go areas, but he did not order them to be fenced.

It is contemptible the ruin that the town has been forced into, putting up costly fences while South Africans sit on street corners just hoping - yes, truly hoping - to get work and put food on the table, and this while our tourists are being driven away to other holiday resorts.

Plettenberg Bay’s rates, water, and electricity charges are hugely inflated and as a result of the municipality’s fence action,

the bay has been severely damaged and some areas long-term destroyed.

The town is no longer the attractive holiday resort it was. This causes livelihoods of many South Africans to be under huge pressure, so rates must drop. They need to be far lower as a result of this unnecessary destruction of the Plett economy.

What kind of message is this fence action sending to overseas tourists when

they may want to come in a year or two? “Beaches are fenced off over there, no thanks, we don’t want to holiday in a police state, we will take our money somewhere else, thank you very much!”

Add to this, it is reported that our municipality is in debt running into millions of rand. So again, why spend senselessly on what amounts to unnecessary and stupid fences?

‘Fenced in’, Plett

Why depend on transformers installed during Rinderpest?

The only pharmacy in Main Street

About two or three years ago, Bitou Council started to prepare and lay foundations for new transformers in Longships Avenue.

There are two sites where the old transformers are situated; these

were probably installed during the time of the Rinderpest. New transformers were brought in and placed on the new foundations, next to the old transformers.

After some time, maybe a month or so, before the

cables could be connected, municipal workers returned and loaded the new transformers on a truck to take them away.

Question: Why was all this time and effort taken to install brand new transformers only to have

them removed before connecting and commissioning?

Rattled Ratepayer, Plett (This letter was sent to Bitou Municipality for comment mid-December, but no response had been received by going to press. - Eds.)

New Year’s shoot shows wellbeing of blue cranes I wish everyone at CXPRESS a happy new year and hope that 2021 will see life returning to normal quite soon.

I thought your readers might be interested in our blue cranes’ second breeding event, after losing their first nest to the Bitou River flooding in early October.

Within about a week, the pair had established another nest at a different location. This nest was too remote to monitor easily, but by mid-December there were reports of the cranes being off the nest with small chicks in tow.

The photo above was taken on January 1 at the farm gate on the R340, where the blue cranes are frequently seen. The chicks are quite large al-

BIRDS OF A FEATHER: One of the blue crane couples resident in the Bitou wetland show their youngsters the ropes - Photo: Bruce Ward-Smith

ready so must have been about six weeks old at the time - I am guessing the eggs hatched between November 20 and 22.

Also, about a fortnight ago, I saw the second breeding pair of local blue cranes in the farm fields along the N2 in the vicinity of the Bitou

bridge with two chicks, also about six to eight weeks old.

So the good news is that the Bitou wetland produced six additional blue cranes this season.

Bruce Ward-Smith, Plett (The cover of our September 18, 2019 edition featured a magnificent im-

age of the cranes in question, captured by Bruce, with a subsequent report on these local representatives of SA’s national bird in the November 18, 2020 edition - visit www.cxpress. co.za to find out more, and email bwardsmith@mweb. co.za for details on BirdLife Plett. - Eds.)

Differently-abled Awareness Campaign with a “difference” During the past two years, the Differentlyabled Awareness Campaign (DAC) canvassed for volunteers and advertised for scraps of haberdashery, to which we received an overwhelming generous response.

Volunteers hand-picked to teach sewing crafts at schools to eager children - especially those with special needs - came to the fore and gave those children much hope and pride. These special ladies did this from the heart and carried their own costs for transport and much, much more.

We held brilliant events, such as July at Sky with all the glitz and glamour of the actual Durban July, music by Gordon Hoffmann, entertainment and laughter by Paul Deans, to name but one which was hugely successful and took many months of

hard work to organise.

DAC being a non-profit organisation, our focus was not only on raising funds but to raise just enough to cover costs to continue assisting in making the visibly “differently-abled” feel that they mattered, too.

Now, instead of being the odd ones out, everyone is different and have to adjust to being abled to tackle life as if they were one of “those.” The new pestilence has made us all think differently and having to adjust has not been easy.

A sense of awareness and real caring has slowly but surely crept into our lives with money no longer the sole focus but rather our physical existence and the knowledge that we are all, each and every person on this Earth, differently-abled.

We hold onto every day longer, we call loved ones

more often just to hear their voices, we send funnies in laughter-filled mails to cheer each other up with the nostalgia of “good old days” bringing back real memories. Old photographs are being scanned and mailed, we are reliving the past.

Parents have had to readjust to their children, many of them only really getting to know them now and it is not a situation of passing each other by. We have learnt to really listen, and truly feel that we actually have children - not easy. Discipline? We have forgotten that part.

When last did you all, as a family, sit down to dinner with Dad or another head of the household?

When last did you forbid cellphones during a main meal with every member of the family present, not dashing off to email something or send an SMS?

Table manners? Special plates and glasses and the boxed cutlery and other flatware should be a regular part of the main meal, not kept for special occasions; just having the family together is a special occasion each day now, with Mom’s cooking being truly appreciated. Why not choose recipes together?

With all of us being differently-abled and aware now, I say welcome to the club of the visibly differently-abled. There are no real differences, never were.

Thank you to all those who truly cared and who gave so generously, not of money but of their time and expertise when I had none.

Rita Hardaker, Plett (Rita is the founder and chairlady of the Differently-abled Awareness Campaign - email her on ritav@global.co.za for details. - Eds.)

13 January 2021

Letters to the Editor

Email: editor@cxpress.co.za - Fax: 044 533 0852 - PO Box 1449, Plett 6600

International shame for Knysna necessitates new ways of conserving estuary So now boating and all other water activities have been banned. But it had to happen. It was brought about, simply, by the stupid and selfish behaviour of many boaters.

We had at times over 85 boats anchored, some tied together, at Under Milkwood, many with blaring music and alcohol abuse. Masks and social distancing were not a consideration.

It was so obviously ridiculous in these times that the event was filmed and made international news, shaming Knysna and causing so much fallout for years to come.

A large lack of navigational signage certainly did not help. The authorities had to intercept, so banned all water activities to ensure there were no grey areas that could be exploited.

I think it important to discuss just how we got to this pathetic situation, and then offer some suggestions for the future.

(Any complainant must put up some alternative suggestion/solution.)

First, please note that no one on Facebook or other social media, including SANParks, even mentioned the word “conservation”.

Let’s go back in time to the year 1800. No boats,

no engines, very few people, zillions of birds, fish, trees, and animals. Now few indigenous trees, few fish, birds, and animals thousands of people and hundreds of boats.

Thesen’s alone added 300 boats. We now have a situation where anyone can have any sized boat and do any speed anywhere in our national park - the most unique in RSA! There are no speed restrictions as there is no measuring device for speed (every little town has a Gatsometer), and no fine for speeding. Mention this outside Knysna or to anyone overseas and they would not believe you or say you are crazy.

OK, so now it’s time to find a compromise that will never please everyone…

Our regulations on baiting, fishing or boating, have simply not kept pace with change (no updates for 35 years), so we desperately need an adjustment in how we manage this precious resource.

You can talk to almost anyone and ask: “Have you ever been approached by SANParks and asked to show your boat, bait, fishing or skipper’s licence?” And here is the bottom-line of the current problem.

SANParks officials are not visible enough. Our

visitors and even locals are not wary of breaking the law. If they are stopped, they just have to say: “Sorry, I didn’t know, I will get one.”

We need everyone and especially our visitors to know they will be asked for licences and will not go on the estuary, even for a day, without severe, first-offence consequences, i.e. as per any other first-world country in a special reserve.

Now we all know SANParks operates on a tight budget and apparently holds little passion for our estuary. So how, we ask, can this be easily remedied?

There are only four launch areas for 99% of all boats: Knysna Angling and Dive Association (KADA), Leisure Isle Boat Club (LIBC), Belvidere Jetty Association, and Thesen Islands.

What if each of these points was manned from 6am to 6pm each day from December 5 to January 25 by a SANParks official (permanent or Honorary) who asked to see your boat, skipper’s, bait and fishing (if you have rods on board) licences?

No need to see a boatsafety certificate (which contains your ID and postal addresses) because you only get a licence once it’s produced.

Remember, too, that to receive a safety certificate, you have to have a picture taken of your boat, out of the water.

I mention this, as a speed-control device takes a picture of an offender and SANParks can then trace owners as per any vehicle fine.

I am convinced that the existing four boating organisations would each contribute R20,000 pa to cover the costs of this labour as it is in their member’s interest to do so.

This could be further enhanced by ensuring that each licensee had a simple pamphlet showing the most important baiting, fishing and boating rules, to greatly improve the knowledge and etiquette on Knysna Estuary.

Those taking part in the future will know that compromises will have to be made for the sake of CONSERVATION. SANParks should convene a public meeting where interested residents and local organisations involved with management of the estuary can discuss and agree on a way forward to ensure a coordinated approach with proper and proactive planning to ensure that Knysna is never again shamed internationally.

Arland Read, Knysna

Municipality should take responsibility for tragedy The intersection of Muller Street and Marine Drive in Plett has long been a potentially-serious accident spot.

A few years back I, as chairman of the Bella Vista Body Corporate, addressed a letter to Bitou Municipality, requesting that Muller Street be widened, as it is

so narrow and therefore a potential accident site.

It carries lots of traffic from Bella Vista, the mediclinic and Methodist Church, as well as Glen Eden retirement village. But nothing happened and no response was received from Bitou.

I am also aware that the residents of Glen Eden

have more than once petitioned the municipality to put a traffic light at the Muller Street/Marine Drive intersection because of the difficulty and danger presented to older residents turning into Marine Drive, particularly in the peak holiday season.

No action!

Last week a dear old lady, a friend to many of us here in Plett, was killed at this very spot.

Will Bitou now take action to prevent further accidents and deaths at this intersection? I hope so. Perhaps the powers that be will even favour us with a response.

Hugh Stacey, Plett

Christmas morning in Plett dawns beautifully… before turning shockingly violent ‘On Christmas Day/on Christmas Day/on Christmas Day in the morning’ goes the song, and beautiful it was at around six-ish - quiet, clear and warmer than the pre-Christmas week of cloud and rain.

It’s Christmas Day and a couple of 70-plussers are out for a walk down Julia Avenue.

In the opposite direction, coming from the traffic circle outside Santini Village, a young man seems to have the same idea.

Young and fit, he gets ahead walking quicker and we’re thinking the poor bugger has to work on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day in the morning.

And I’m right, he is working: a skelm who, less than 100m on and not 50m from our door, bends to untie and then tie both shoelaces while we perforce catch up.

I laugh and say if I were a younger man, I’d leapfrog over him just for the fun of being out and about on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day in the morning.

He’s waiting for us to catch up, surprises and shocks us by turning and running at me, stabbing my upper arm (with a screwdriver, I see later) while shouting: “Money!

I want money!”

Then his hands are in my pockets pulling

out nothing but a door key, a gate opener and a hankie. My only shouted response is: “No money!

Not when out walking!”

It’s about the only thing we got right that Christmas Day in the morning.

My wife sees this, thinks she’s next, throws the two bangles she’s wearing on to the thick verge. He sees and retrieves them while I’m still shouting about no money, intermittent with loud calls for help.

He grabs my wife’s hand, shoves it into his mouth and she screams as he tries to scrape or bite off her rings with his teeth. For the first time he’s on his knees, vulner-

able, and I’ve got some of my wits back, thinking I can get a kick into his vulnerable crotch.

Too late; he gives it all up and runs off, followed by my shouts of him being a stupid bastard - that the police are gonna catch him. Yeah, on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day at six o’clock in the morning…

There’s a PS to this: Why was I so slow to do anything? Not quick enough to protect my wife? She, in turn, wonders why she didn’t shove her hand further down his throat and choke the bastard.

John and Heather Johnson, Plett

CXPRESS

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